All the World's a Small Sacrifice For Your Love
by sofia313
Summary: Aurora wasn't the one he wanted. She wasn't the one he loved. His pathetic obsession. The woman he could never have. Until now. Now he could simply kill anyone who would try to stop him.
1. Chapter 1

France, the de Martel estate, 1002

Lucien's eyes flew open and he gasped in shock. Where was he? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was the pain. He had tried to kill Tristan. That bastard had flogged Lucien. Cut his face. All because he had thought that Lucien had done something inappropriate with Aurora. He hadn't. She wasn't the one he wanted. She wasn't the one he loved. His pathetic obsession. The woman he could never have. Lady Cerise. Tristan's betrothed. The future Countess de Martel. Tristan didn't deserve her.

"Lucien?"

The voice sounded somehow familiar, but it took a moment before Lucien recognized it. Niklaus. Lucien got into a sitting position and looked around. He was in the woods. It was dark, but he could see everything clearly. The trees, the sky, the stars… The flames. Niklaus had a torch in his hand; he was staring at Lucien disbelievingly.

"What…" Lucien murmured. "What happened?"

"You…died," Niklaus replied after a moment of silence.

Lucien's eyes widened.

"What?"

Slowly he touched his back, all his wounds were gone. In fact, he felt wonderful. But…

"I am hungry," he stated.

Niklaus bit his bottom lip.

"Yes, I… I felt the hunger too after I woke up." He paused and took a step towards Lucien.

"You must try to fight it. Please, do not make the same mistakes I did. Believe me; you do not want to become a monster."

Lucien looked at him calmly while standing up. For the first time in his life, he felt powerful. Truly powerful. And hungrier than ever before. He knew what he needed.

"Lucien!" Niklaus cried out.

Lucien barely heard him, he was moving incredibly fast. It didn't take him long to reach the castle and grab the first guard he saw. He felt his sharp teeth coming out and sank them into the guard's neck. The first drop of blood in his mouth tasted sweeter than anything ever before.

"Lucien!" Niklaus snapped. "Not here!"

Lucien licked his lips and dropped the guard's lifeless body on the ground.

"More."

Niklaus pressed his lips together and grabbed the body.

"First rule, we cannot make a mess."

Lucien wasn't really listening; he had just spotted two servant girls heading to the chapel. All they were to him now were prey. He was the predator; all his instincts were telling him to hunt them. They were lighting up candles when Lucien entered the chapel. He threw one of them against the wall and grabbed the other one. Her blood tasted even better than the guard's, it didn't take him long to drain her. The other girl was sitting on the floor; her back was leaning against the wall. She stared at him in horror as he laughed.

"Oh, you do not know all that you are missing!" he announced. "I feel as though I have left the fog of winter to enter the most glorious springtime!"

The girl burst into tears.

"Please, my family…"

"Lucien, no!" Niklaus snapped. He had just entered the chapel. "What did I just tell you? This will not go unnoticed, now we will have to leave. I know you despise me…"

"No, no, no, I do not," he assured. "Why would I?"

Niklaus hesitated for a brief moment before replying.

"Because of Aurora."

Lucien smiled; Niklaus also thought that it was Aurora. No.

"We are as alike now as brothers, are we not?" Lucien hummed.

"It seems so," Niklaus muttered.

"Then teach me, Niklaus. Teach me to be what we are."

Niklaus looked at him for a moment before slowly lifting the sobbing girl to her feet.

"Gladly," he stated and sank his fangs into the girl's neck.

Lucien laughed, he had never felt better. He was fast, strong, invincible. He could take whatever he wanted. Whoever he wanted… Suddenly the thought hit him. Cerise. She could be his now, no one would be able to stop him. He could simply kill anyone who would try. His lips curved into a sinister smile. This night was about to get even better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

 _2 years earlier_

 _Lucien looked at the carriage and the group of soldiers who were approaching him. Lord Tristan's betrothed was in the carriage. Lucien hadn't even met her yet, but he already felt sorry for the poor girl. Lady Cerise de Fortier, 15-years-old daughter of the Count de Fortier. Lucien had been present, serving wine, when Count de Martel had informed Tristan about the marriage arrangement. Usually Tristan never showed his feelings, but he had most certainly been displeased._

 _"You wish me to marry a child?" he had stated, a hint if annoyance clear in his voice._

 _"Yes," Count de Martel had replied. "This marriage will seal our alliance with Count de Fortier. The girl will arrive here soon, but you will not be wed right away."_

 _"Why is that?"_

 _The Count had grinned._

 _"She is not…fertile yet."_

 _"I see," Tristan had stated tensely. "I would have preferred meeting her before the engagement."_

 _"You have nothing to worry about," the Count had replied. "Count de Fortier's delegate assured that she is a pretty girl. And you can be sure that she is pure. What else do you need to know? You do not have to like her or even bed her after she has given you an heir, if you find her body unsatisfying."_

 _Count de Martel had spoken about the young lady like she would have been nothing more than a breeding mare. To him she was nothing more and Lucien doubted that Tristan would show her much kindness. The only person he ever showed kindness was his sister. Lucien wondered did Tristan's betrothed know anything about her new home and family. If she did, she was probably afraid._

 _Count de Martel was known for his cruelty, but Tristan was even worse. He was smarter than the old drunkard and he was merciless towards people who displeased him. The poor girl was still very young; hopefully she would be able to adjust. Lucien bowed as the carriage door opened and a man got out. Judging by his clothes, he was a nobleman._

 _"My lord," Lucien greeted him. "Welcome, His Grace sent me to escort you to the castle."_

 _The man glanced at him carelessly._

 _"I am thirsty," he snorted._

 _Lucien was confused, did the man with him to serve him something to drink? Apparently not, a young boy dismounted quickly and hurried towards the man with a flagon. Unfortunately the boy tripped and dropped the flagon, spilling all the water on the ground._

 _"Useless idiot!" the man snapped._

 _"Fo-forgive me, my lord…" the boy murmured, clearly he was terrified. Lucien bowed his head, he truly felt bad for the poor boy._

 _"Get up!" the man demanded._

 _The boy obeyed as quickly as he could. The man raised his fist, ready to hit the boy, when a female voice stopped him._

 _"My lord?"_

 _The voice was soft and calm, it made the man lower his fist and turn around. Lucien looked up and saw a young woman standing next to the carriage. He had never in his life seen anything so beautiful and for a moment he was sure that she couldn't be real. Her golden blonde hair looked like a halo around her head, her eyes, large and dark blue looked deep as ponds and her face was the face of an angel. Was she an angel?_

 _"Yes, my lady?" the man asked._

 _She looked at him calmly and smiled._

 _"I would like to take a little walk, if I may?"_

 _"Yes, of course," he replied and quickly walked over to her. He offered her his arm and she wrapped hers around it._

 _"Thank you, my lord, you are very kind."_

 _She glanced at the boy when the man wasn't looking and motioned him to move back to his horse. The boy bowed and obeyed immediately. Lucien stared at her the whole time when she took a brief walk with the man. They didn't go far and the soldiers kept an eye on them the whole time. Who was she? It took a moment before Lucien realized the obvious answer as he remembered why he was here in the first place. She had to be Lady Cerise. Tristan's betrothed. No. Was the world truly so cruel place? Was there no justice? Lucien bowed quickly when the lady stopped in front of him._

 _"Hello," she said. "What is your name?"_

 _"Lucien, my lady," he managed to reply._

 _"It is nice to meet you, Lucien, I am Cerise de Fortier."_

 _Lucien's hope vanished with her words. She really was Tristan's betrothed. The man who already had everything would also have her. It felt so unfair. More than unfair. In that moment Lucien felt nothing but bitterness._


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

 _3 months earlier_

 _Cerise was standing quietly beside her bed. Her cheeks were red and she kept her eyes down as three men were looking at her bloody sheets. One of them was Count de Martel, the second one his personal healer and the third one his son and Cerise's betrothed, the Lord Tristan._

 _"Well, well," the Count chuckled. "A late bloomer, is she? I was starting to suspect that she is not fertile at all."_

 _Cerise kept her eyes on the floor, she felt nothing but embarrassed. Her first moon blood had finally come and of course she was grateful, but she would have wanted Tristan to do this by himself. She didn't think that he would have humiliated her the same way than the Count did. He liked to make nasty comments and even grope her whenever he had a chance. She hated his hands and the smell of alcohol, but obviously she had never complained. Who could she possibly complain to? The Count was the ruler here; he had the right to do practically anything he wanted._

 _"Lie down and spread your legs," the Count ordered._

 _Cerise's eyes widened before she looked up._

 _"Your Grace?"_

 _"You need to be examined."_

 _Desperately she glanced at Tristan, silently begging him to help her. She didn't ask things from him very often, but right now she prayed that he wouldn't make her do this. His face was as callous as usual, but thankfully he took pity on her._

 _"Father, I do not think that will be necessary," he stated._

 _"Why not?" the Count snorted. "The girl is almost 17 and she has not bled before. We need to be sure that she really is bleeding now. I will not let you take a barren wife."_

 _"Very well," Tristan replied. "I shall examine her myself then. She does belong to me and I wish to be the first and only man who will ever see all of her."_

 _Cerise's heart skipped a beat as she understood his words._

 _"My lord…" she said quietly._

 _He looked at her calmly._

 _"Yes?"_

 _She swallowed when she understood that he was trying to spare her from humiliation by offering to do this himself. She certainly didn't want the Count or the old healer to touch her or look at her most private part._

 _"I… I also wish you to do it." She paused and looked at the Count. "Your Grace, please forgive me, but I was taught that a lady's body only belongs to her husband."_

 _The Count seemed amused._

 _"Well… What a chaste little wife my son will have. Alright, we shall turn around."_

 _"Thank you, Your Grace."_

 _Cerise was too nervous to look at Tristan as she lied down on her back. She couldn't help but shiver when he lifted her hem of her nightgown. Thankfully she didn't have to spread her legs much in order for him to see the blood. He didn't say anything and there was no expression on his face, he simply took a quick look and pulled her nightgown back down._

 _"She is bleeding," he stated calmly as he helped her up._

 _The Count and the healer turned around to look at him._

 _"Very good," the Count said. "You shall finally be wed then and she will give you an heir." He paused and looked at the healer. "She is quite old already; does her late bleeding affect her fertility?"_

 _"I doubt that, Your Grace," the healer replied. "However, I would recommend you to let her bleed at least once more before the lord will claim her maidenhead, just to be sure."_

 _"Yes… I believe we will do that. Would you agree, my son?"_

 _"Yes, father," Tristan replied._

 _Cerise couldn't face any of them; she kept her eyes on the floor. The shame of dishonoring her family by not having her moon blood had been terrible, but this wasn't much better. She felt completely humiliated._

 _"I want you to stay in your chamber until the bleeding stops," the Count continued. "I am sure you agree that you cannot participate in the feast tonight."_

 _"Yes, Your Grace."_

 _"Good. I will have some very important guests."_

 _Cerise was nothing but relieved as the three men were leaving, but she hoped to have a word with her betrothed._

 _"My lord?" she said quietly before he followed his father and the healer._

 _"Yes?"_

 _She waited until the Count was out of her chamber before making her request._

 _"I know His Grace told me stay here, but I was wondering if I could go to the chapel? I would like to pray."_

 _There was no expression on his face, he simply nodded._

 _"Yes, you may go."_

 _"Thank you, my lord," she said and curtsied._

 _He bowed briefly._

 _"My lady."_

 _She closed her eyes and took a deep breath after he had left. She felt exhausted, especially when she thought about the wedding. What would it be like to be his wife? At least all the whispers in the court would finally stop. Many people had suspected that Cerise was a barren and the Count would send her back to her father. Thankfully that wouldn't happen now, she was afraid to even imagine what her father would have done to her if she would have brought their family that kind of shame._

 _Her maid came in and helped her to get dressed. Cerise headed to the chapel as soon as she could. She really needed a moment by herself. Thankfully there was no one in the chapel, she lit up a candle and kneeled. The tears came immediately, she couldn't stop them. She wasn't sure if they were tears of relief, tears of sorrow, tears of exhaustion, tears of humiliation or something else. For the first time since she had arrived here, she cried._

 _"My lady?" a quiet male voice suddenly said._

 _Cerise startled and tried quickly to dry her eyes. Lucien was standing in front of her, he looked concerned._

 _"Oh, hello," she said, trying her best to smile._

 _"I… I apologize for disturbing you, but… Are you alright, my lady?"_

 _She was about to lie to him, but she really didn't have strength to do that._

 _"Not really."_

 _He kneeled also, looking even more concerned._

 _"My lady… Is… Is there anything I can do to help you?"_

 _She couldn't help but smile, he was very kind._

 _"I am afraid not, but thank you for asking. I mean it, you are a good man, Lucien and I have no doubt that you will make some woman very happy."_

 _He bowed his head, she noticed him blushing._

 _"Forgive me, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable…"_

 _"No, no, you did not, my lady. I just… You should not have to cry."_

 _"That is a very sweet thing to say. Thank you for your concern."_

 _Cerise had always liked Lucien; he really was a kind and gentle man. Nothing like most of the noblemen. Any woman would be lucky to have him._


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

Lucien was standing next to Lady Cerise's bed. Her bedchamber was quite dark; there was only couple of candles burning. That made no difference to Lucien, not anymore. He could see everything clearly. He could hear and smell everything. The sound of Lady Cerise's heartbeat, the sweet scent of her hair and skin, the beauty of her soft bosom rising and falling as she breathed…

She was more beautiful now than ever before. Now he could truly see all of her. He could smell the sweetest nectar under her flawless skin. She was an angel. A goddess. His goddess. After tonight she would be all his. The newborn beast in him purred with satisfaction. It had already fed, but now it wanted something else.

 _Mine._

Lucien bit his bottom lip as Lady Cerise sighed in her sleep. He had dreamt for this moment, but now when it was finally here, some part of him hesitated. No. He wasn't weak and pathetic anymore, never again. He was strong, fast, invincible. A god among pathetic humans. He could take whatever he wanted. He was finally worthy of his goddess.

Slowly he leaned towards her and touched her cheek. Her warm and soft cheek. He felt clumsy, concerned that his touch was too rough. Damaging such perfection would be an unforgivable sin. Unfortunately he couldn't yet control his new strength, not completely. He needed to be very careful with her. Perhaps he should wait, let Niklaus teach him first.

No. He had already waited long enough. Watched her from the distance. Looked for any opportunity to be near her. Hear her voice. See her smile. He wasn't going to wait any longer. Carefully he touched her hair and inhaled her scent. She sighed again as his thumb caressed her lips. He could tell that she was waking up. For a very brief moment he was the old Lucien again, nervous and pathetic. No, that Lucien was dead. He was a god now and he was going to have his goddess. She blinked her eyes sleepily and yawned.

"Paulette?" she murmured.

Her eyes widened in terror as she saw him and she would have screamed if he wouldn't have covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh, shh," he hummed calmingly. "It's alright, my lady, no need to be afraid."

She stared at him; he could see the terror and the confusion in her eyes.

"Please, do not scream. Alright?"

It took a moment before she managed to nod. Slowly he lifted his hand.

"Lu-Lucien?" she gasped.

"Yes," he replied smiling.

"How… I… I heard that you are…dead."

"Not quite."

Her mouth floundered open and closed, clearly she was very confused.

"How… Are you…a ghost?"

"No, definitely not," he chuckled and touched her cheek. "I am very real."

She got into a sitting position, her beautiful eyes full of distress.

"You… You cannot be here. You must run, go as far away from here as you can. If Count de Martel or Lord Tristan finds out you are alive…"

"It does not matter," he cut in. "Not anymore." He paused and took her hand. "I am not weak anymore, no one can hurt me."

"I do not understand…"

She gasped as he suddenly cupped her face.

"Yes, I intend to leave here and I will take you with me."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

He smiled and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"You are all I want, my lady, and now I am finally worthy of you. I will take care of you, protect you and give you everything you want. I will give you the world."

She looked beyond confused.

"Lucien…"

"I am not weak anymore. Look."

She gasped when he moved away from the bed inhumanly fast and lifted a heavy wooden chest with one hand.

"Can you see now?" he asked smiling. "I am a god. And you are my goddess."

She flinched as he returned to the bed, he could sense her terror.

"Hey… It's alright, my lady, you have nothing to fear."

Her hands were shaking and she was breathing rapidly.

"What happened to you?" she asked quietly.

"Something wonderful. I am not weak and pathetic anymore, I am something much more."

"You were never pathetic," she replied. "You were a good man. A kind man."

"No, I was weak. But not anymore."

She looked at him insecurely.

"What… What do you want from me, Lucien?"

He frowned.

"I told you, I want to take care of you. Take you away from this place."

"To where?" she asked quietly.

"Anywhere, it does not matter."

"I am engaged…"

"Not for long," he cut in angrily. "I will kill Tristan and everyone else here if I have to…"

"No! Lucien, no. This is not you."

He smiled and touched her bottom lip.

"I will do what I have to do. For you. For us. You belong to me."

Her heart was beating faster, but she tried to look calm.

"What if I do not wish to leave with you?" she asked quietly.

He stared at her disbelievingly.

"Why would you possibly want to stay here? I have seen how unhappy you have been. You deserve so much better and I can give you that. I will treat you like you deserve to be treated. Like a goddess you are."

He cupped her chin and carefully tasted her lips. She tensed immediately and pushed him away.

"Lucien, no."

"Why not?"

She looked him in the eyes.

"Because you scare me."

"I told you, you have nothing to fear. I would never hurt you."

"Will you give me time then to think about this?"

He frowned; this wasn't going the way he had thought. He was a god; he could take whatever he wanted. She took his hand and smiled at him.

"Please?"

"Well… I suppose I can do that."

"Thank you," she replied and kissed his hand.

"How much time do you need?"

"I… I am not sure. You are asking me to leave everything I know."

The beast in him wanted to say that he wasn't asking, he was going to take her with him. Surely she would adjust after she would see how well he would treat her. After all, she had said it herself; he would make some woman very happy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

 _2 years earlier_

 _A child. His father wanted him to marry a child. That was Tristan's first thought when he laid eyes on his betrothed for the first time. They had just been officially introduced, the girl and her uncle, the Lord Arnaud de Fortier, were standing in front the throne. Tristan had just stood up and stepped in front of his future wife. Dear lord she was small, her head barely reached his shoulders. How would he ever be able to bed her without breaking her?_

 _"Honor, my lord," she said and curtsied._

 _He bowed and touched her hand briefly with his lips. Her hand felt very small in his, she was like a doll. A pretty doll he supposed, but certainly nothing like the women he usually bedded. She acted just like a lady was supposed to act, but he noticed the childlike curiosity in her eyes. Well, she **was** a child and he doubted that she really knew what she was walking into._

 _"My lady."_

 _"Well, what a lovely little creature she is," Count de Martel announced. "Her father must be very proud."_

 _"Yes, Your Grace," Lord Arnaud replied. "My brother is very fond of her."_

 _"I am sure my son will be as well."_

 _Tristan didn't say anything; he kept his face free from emotion as he observed his betrothed. He believed that she would be a dutiful wife. That was after all what she had raised to be. He on the other hand had no idea what kind of husband he would be. His father had been cruel and violent toward his mother, Tristan remembered her teary eyes. Her bruises she had tried to hide._

 _Tristan had never been a kind man, his father had raised him to be cold and harsh, but in that moment he vowed to himself that he would never lay a hand on this little doll. Surely she would have deserved something more, warmth and affection, but he wasn't sure if he could offer her any of that. The only person who had ever seen the softer side of him was Aurora; he didn't show kindness to anyone else._

 _Kindness was a weakness and he wasn't weak. The girl looked at him with her dark blue eyes and smiled at him. She wanted to believe that he was a good man. Her naivety almost made him feel sorry for her. He had a nasty feeling that she would be eaten alive here._

* * *

Tristan marched towards his father's chamber, the Count wanted to know what had happened with Lucien. The problem was that Tristan wasn't sure what to say. Lucien had been chained up in the dungeon; Tristan had flogged him and cut his face. Then Lucien had suddenly attacked Tristan and Aurora. His face and back had been healed. That was very interesting.

Tristan was willing to bet that it had something to do with de Guises, if that was actually their name. Something had been wrong ever since they had arrived. People had gone missing, the servants were afraid… It seemed that they were some kind of monsters. Thankfully Tristan had found out what they were afraid of. Something even worse was looking for them and they certainly didn't want that something to find them.

When Lord Niklaus had threatened him in the dungeon, Tristan hadn't been completely sure if his speculations had been correct. Fortunately they had been. These things really were afraid of something. Interesting. Tristan was just coming from behind the corner when he saw something ahead. Lady Cerise was speaking with Lord Elijah. They were too far away for Tristan to hear what they were saying, but he could see the distress on Lady Cerise's face. Tristan's eyes narrowed when Lord Elijah put his hands on Lady Cerise's shoulders.

Tristan moved closer and heard the words: "Please, trust me, my lady."

Lady Cerise nodded, but she still seemed distressed.

"My lord, I…"

Lord Elijah pulled away quickly as he noticed Tristan.

"My lord," Lord Elijah murmured. "Good morning."

Tristan didn't reply, he stared at his betrothed. She curtsied, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Excuse us, please, Lord Elijah," Tristan stated icily.

"My lord, we were merely talking, I can assure you that there was nothing inappropriate…" Lord Elijah started.

"I am sure there wasn't. Excuse us, please."

Reluctantly he obeyed.

"Come with me," Tristan said to Lady Cerise as soon as Lord Elijah had left. She was clearly nervous, but she followed him obediently. He led her to his chamber and closed the door behind them.

"My lord…" she started.

"What did you talk about with him?" Tristan cut in.

"Nothing important, my lord," she replied quietly.

"I will decide what is important," he replied harshly. "What did you talk about?"

She swallowed before replying.

"I… I ran into Lord Elijah in the chapel. He…overheard me praying and…"

"And what?"

She was blinking nervously.

"He…He was kind enough to offer me some advice."

"What kind of advice?"

"Nothing important…"

Tristan grabbed her arms and pushed her against the wall before she had time to finish her sentence. He wasn't rough enough to hurt her, but he did use enough force to make his point. Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp, he had never done anything like this before. Now he had to, she had to understand that this wasn't some kind of game. This was about her safety, possibly her life. She had no idea what she was dealing with.

"Now," he started firmly. "You will tell me everything you and Lord Elijah talked about. And I advice you not to lie to me, that always makes me quite upset. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, my lord," she managed to say.

"Good. Now tell me."


End file.
